Virginia's seventh congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The district encompasses a vast swath of Northern and Central Virginia, including many suburban, urban, and rural areas. The district includes the city of Fredericksburg, along with the towns of Bowling Green and Culpeper. Considered among the nation's most competitive congressional districts, it has been represented by Democrat Eugene Vindman since 2025.
The district spans across much of Central and Northern Virginia including all of Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Greene County, Madison County, Fredericksburg, Caroline County, King George County, Stafford County, the south-eastern half of Prince William County, and a small sliver of Albemarle County.
History Until 1970, the 7th district comprised the northern half of the Shenandoah Valley, now part of the strongly Republican 6th district. After the 1970 census, it was redrawn to give up most of the Valley except for Winchester, and pick up Manassas and Fredericksburg, thus stretching from the fringes of the Washington, D.C. suburbs to Charlottesville.
This iteration of the 7th was one of the first areas of Virginia to shake off its Solid South roots. The area's Democrats started splitting their tickets as early as the 1930s. The Republicans took the seat in 1970, and held it without much difficulty until 1993, during the period when mamy conservative white Southerners shifted to the Republican Party.
The district's current configuration dates from 1993, when Virginia was forced to create a majority-minority district by a Justice Department directive pursuant to the Voting Rights Act. At that time, most of Richmond, which had been entirely in the old 3rd district for over a century, was shifted to a newly created 3rd district. The remaining territory in the old 3rd was combined with some more rural areas to the north to form the new 7th district.
From 2013 to 2017, with redrawing of the 7th district, it stretched from the west end of Richmond through the wealthier portions of Henrico and Chesterfield counties; it also took in all of Goochland, Hanover, Louisa, New Kent, Orange, in Culpeper, Page and Rappahannock counties and a portion of Spotsylvania County.
In 2016, the adjacent 3rd district was found to be unconstitutional, leading to court-ordered redistricting, which changed the 7th district for the 2016 elections.
From 2017 to 2023, the district spanned much of Central Virginia, including all of Orange, Culpeper, Goochland, Louisa, Nottoway, Amelia, and Powhatan counties. The district also included large portions of Chesterfield and Henrico counties in the suburbs of Richmond. However, Richmond was not in the 7th. Spotsylvania County also had a large portion in the 7th district just outside of Fredericksburg.
Demographics According to the United States Census Bureau's 2017 data for Virginia's 7th Congressional District, the total population of the district is 790,084. Median age for the district is 39.7 years. 65.5% of the district is Non-Hispanic White, 18.4% Black, 5.1% Asian, 0.3% Native American or Alaskan, and 3.4% some other race with 7.3% Hispanic or Latino. Owner-occupied housing is 73.0% and renter-occupied housing is 27.0%. The median value of single-family owner-occupied homes is $266,500. 91.6% of the district population has at least a high school diploma, 40.4% at least a bachelor's degree or higher. 9.1% of the district are civilian veterans. 9.1% are foreign born and 11.9% speak a language other than English at home. 9.9% are of disability status. 68.2% of the district is in the labor force, which consists of those 16 years and older. Mean travel time to work is 29.3 minutes. Median household income is $77,533. Per capita income is $37,567. 5.3% of the population account for families living below the poverty level, and 7.7% of individuals live below the poverty level. 9.5% of children live below the poverty line.
Recent election results 1992–2002 2000
2002–2012 2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012–2016 2012
2014
2016–2022 2016
2018
2020
2022–present 2022
2024
Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentMcCain 53% - 46% SenateWarner 64% - 35%2009 GovernorMcDonnell 63% - 37% Lt. GovernorBolling 60% - 39% Attorney GeneralCuccinelli 58% - 42%2012 PresidentRomney 57% - 42% SenateAllen 55% - 45%2013 GovernorCuccinelli 52% - 38% Lt. GovernorNortham 51% - 49% Attorney GeneralObenshain 58% - 42%2014 SenateGillespie 56% - 41%2016 PresidentTrump 50% - 44%2017 GovernorGillespie 51% - 48% Lt. GovernorVogel 53% - 47% Attorney GeneralAdams 53% - 47%2018 SenateKaine 52% - 46%2020 PresidentBiden 50% - 49% SenateWarner 51% - 49%2021 GovernorYoungkin 55% - 44% Lt. GovernorEarle-Sears 55% - 45% Attorney GeneralMiyares 55% - 45%2024 PresidentHarris 50% - 47% SenateKaine 53% - 46%2025 GovernorSpanberger 58% - 42% Lt. GovernorHashmi 56% - 44% Attorney GeneralJones 54% - 46%
Composition For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
Albemarle County (0) District contains no incorporated or census-designated communities Caroline County (4) All 4 communities Culpeper County (2) Brandy Station, Culpeper Greene County (3) All 3 communities King George County (5) All 5 communities Madison County (2) Brightwood, Madison Orange County (4) All 4 communities Prince William County (14) Cherry Hill, County Center (part; also 10th), Dale City, Dumfries, Independent Hill (part; also 10th), Lake Ridge, Leesylvania, Montclair, Occoquan, Potomac Mills, Quantico, Quantico Base, Triangle, Woodbridge Spotsylvania County (2) Lake Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse Stafford County (7) All 7 communities Independent city (1) Fredericksburg
List of members representing the district